Approaches to regulation of gene functions - RNA interference and light

核酸具有广泛的生物学功能，例如构成我们基因的构件。其中许多职能都受到了严格的监管。核酸的各种化学修饰已被证明会影响这些分子的性质和功能。这项拟议的研究使用了两种不同的方法来调节核酸的性质。首先，糖将被连接到被称为小干扰RNA(SiRNAs)的特殊核酸的不同位置，以提高siRNAs作为治疗药物的适用性。其次，核酸将通过加入在特定波长的光下发生结构变化的基序来进行修饰。因此，核酸的结构和功能可以用光来操纵。这些修饰可能在核酸的生物化学和医学应用方面产生新的方向。

Nucleic acids perform a wide array of biological functions, such as forming the building blocks of our genes. Many of these functions are highly regulated. Various chemical modifications of nucleic acids have been shown to affect the properties and functions of these molecules. The proposed research uses two distinct approaches to modulate nucleic acid properties. First, sugars will be attached to various sites of special nucleic acids called small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in order to improve the suitability of siRNAs as therapeutic drugs. Second, nucleic acids will be modified by incorporating motifs that undergo structural changes upon exposure to light of a specific wavelength. Consequently, the structures and functions of nucleic acids can be manipulated by light. These modifications may generate new directions in the biochemical and medicinal applications of nucleic acids.